Slay Bells Ring (A Christmas Cozy Mystery Series Book 2)

by Mona Marple

  I glanced at the papers on his lap and read the heading.

  Advanced Figure Skating Rules & Regulations, Updated Edition Version 7.4a

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “I’ll set the scene, for the benefit of the tape. Around 5.45 this morning, Candy Cane Custody received a phone call from yourself, Peggy-Sue, advising that you had found a dead body. We attended the scene and did, indeed, see the body of Twisty Rumples. Can you start by talking us through what happened?”

  Twisty was dead?

  I felt stunned by the news. I thought that Greasy’s death had been suspicious, but Twisty dying just days afterwards surely made it clear to everyone that they were both murders and must be linked.

  Who would want both Greasy and Twisty dead?

  “I was out walking and I saw a figure crumpled on the ground outside Sleigh A While. I thought perhaps it was a drunk at first and I wondered what Candy Cane Hollow was turning into, but as I got closer I recognised him,” Peggy-Sue said. Her voice was firm and judgemental, even as she described the poor man’s death.

  “Early to be out walking, no?” Wiggles asked.

  “I have the same route and I take it at the same time each day. I enjoy the quiet. I also like to see how the town looks each day. It’s amazing what you can see at that time. You may recall that just a month ago I filed a report about several businesses keeping their interior lights on all night? I queried the waste of electricity. Well, I made that discovery on a morning walk,” Peggy-Sue said with pride.

  “You’re being a good neighbour filing all of these reports, aren’t you?” I asked, as I realised just how she saw the role she was playing.

  “Of course. Someone has to monitor the standards we are setting for ourselves, and since nobody else seems to care quite as much as I do, I’ve taken on the job. It’s unpaid, unpopular, but vital.”

  “And we thank you. Now, returning to this morning. Did Twisty speak to you? Make any noises at all?” Wiggles asked.

  Peggy-Sue glared across at him. “He was dead.”

  “You know that how? Did you check for a pulse, or…”

  “Well, no, no I didn’t. I didn’t lay a finger on him. I thought it pretty obvious from the state of him.”

  “And you called the police right away when you found him?” I asked. Wiggles had picked up his papers and began to read them with deep concentration. It seemed that I was on my own, investigating a murder. Be careful what you wish for, as they say.

  “I did. What else would I do? I was very conscious that this scene was right there on the High Street. It’s bad for business. Bad for morale! The mess had to be cleared away.”

  “The mess? That mess was a person,” I said quietly.

  “Exactly. Was. Used to be. When I came across him, he was already dead and gone and the High Street was no place for him.”

  “Did you see anyone else around?” I asked.

  “I don’t recall. I wasn’t paying attention before coming across his body.”

  “So you didn’t see anything suspicious?”

  “I saw a dead body, I’d say that was plenty of suspicious things to see first thing in the morning. Clearly, he was killed! Clearly, whoever killed Greasy decided to kill Twisty too. So you’re looking for a person with a reason to want them both dead.”

  “Thank you for that,” I said with a thin smile.

  “It’s really not my job to spell it out for you, but it seems fairly straightforward,” Peggy-Sue said.

  “Do you have any ideas who could have wanted them both dead?” I asked. I guessed that Peggy-Sue was a woman with an opinion on everything.

  “Of course I do. It’s Drayton, isn’t it? He wanted The Greasy Spoon closed down and he’s got what he wanted now, hasn’t he!”

  “It’s a bit drastic, isn’t it? Killing the competition?” I asked, even though I agreed that he was the main suspect.

  “There’s the woman involved too. That complicated everything, doesn’t it?” Peggy-Sue asked.

  “What woman?”

  “Greasy’s ex. The one who does the events.”

  “Lila? What about her?” I asked.

  “She was all over Drayton at the Ball. I saw them kissing at one point. And not the way you’d kiss your grandfather, if you know what I mean. A disgusting public display of affection. Save it for indoors, I say.”

  “You saw Lila and Drayton kissing at the Ball?” I asked.

  “Yes, down by the toilets. No doubt they were so carried away with passion that they didn’t care who saw.”

  “That’s interesting. You really are being very helpful, Peggy-Sue.”

  “At this stage, we believe that Twisty was trampled by a reindeer,” Wiggles glanced up from his paperwork to add that. It was genius, really. It looked as if he was reading a formal report about Twisty’s death, not revising for his figure skating competition.

  My mind flashed back to Drayton’s warning. He’d threatened to crush the competition. Could that really be a coincidence?

  “Did you see any reindeer around?” I asked.

  Peggy-Sue considered the question and shook her head. “None nearby. I’d know because I have allergies, you see. I’d have felt if one was close.”

  “Allergic to reindeer? That’s got to make life fun in Candy Cane Hollow,” I said with a smile.

  “Is that relevant? I’m not here to talk about my personal lived experience of Candy Cane Hollow, or as an allergy-sufferer. Keep your questions focused, please.”

  I narrowed my eyes a little. Fine. If she wanted to play mean, I could do the same.

  “How do you feel about the fact that you’ve been implicated by another person involved in this investigation?” I asked.

  Peggy-Sue’s face turned an impossible shade of crimson and she grabbed her snowman-shaped handbag and clutched it to her.

  “How dare you suggest such a thing? I demand a full explanation,” she said.

  “I’m not able to reveal all of the details at this stage, but I can say that you were named as a person who may have had a grudge against Greasy,” I said.

  “Greasy! What’s he got to do with this? I’m talking about Twisty and I never had a single issue with him!”

  “But you did have an issue with Greasy?”

  “With his cooking! With his food hygiene levels! I wouldn’t have wasted my time fraternising with a man who only owned one cutting board. Every food professional should know the different colour cutting boards and follow that system. What if I have a celery allergy and celery is the thing he chopped before he chopped whatever I ordered?” Peggy-Sue ranted.

  “The person who named you said that you were furious about the letter he wrote to the Chronicles about you,” I said.

  “And I’ve already told you that I knew nothing about that weak attempt at writing.”

  “And you know nothing about a reindeer trampling Twisty to death?”

  “I know how the aftermath of it looked, that’s as much as I can help you with.”

  “You couldn’t have been responsible for that reindeer?”

  “Absolutely not. I have no experience with reindeer. My allergies wouldn’t let me near one.”

  “I think that’s all that I have to ask you for now,” I said. Wiggles gave me a slight nod to indicate that he agreed.

  We loitered in the interview room after Peggy-Sue had left. It was a more comfortable space and closer to the kitchen, where Wiggles disappeared off to and returned with a hot chocolate for each of us.

  “I can’t believe that Twisty’s been killed,” I said.

  “Me either. I wish I’d gone out and spoke to Drayton last night, Holly. It’s just… this competition, I’m not getting any younger and this might be my last chance to compete at this level,” Wiggles explained.

  “I understand. You have a right to a personal life. Maybe I could help?”

  “Help? You figure skate?”

  “Oh, goodness, no! I meant maybe I could help with the investigation? I can
interview people for you, or with you. I think it’s clear that Drayton needs speaking to next.”

  Wiggles laughed. “Oh, right, yes! Help with the investigation. That would be great. Drayton’s our man, you think?”

  “I’m not sure. Everything seems to be pointing to him, but is it all too neat and tidy?”

  “It would be a clumsy killer who left a body right outside their own business,” Wiggles agreed.

  “Unless he hopes that by making it so obvious we actually suspect him less,” I said.

  “Good point.”

  “If it is him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to make a run for it,” I said.

  Wiggles carefully placed his hot chocolate on the table and gazed at me. “We’d better get after him then.”

  14

  We sped across town in Wiggles’ tiny Fiat with Last Christmas on repeat, and I found that the car felt a bit more comfortable, as if my body was beginning to adjust to the cramped space and the familiar grooves of the seat.

  The lights were on inside Sleigh A While but the door was closed and locked.

  Wiggles thudded on the door.

  “Police, open up!” He called.

  A few moments passed, and then the door was opened. Drayton’s skin tone was almost grey it was so pale. He looked exhausted, like a very ill man or father of a newborn baby.

  “I’ve been expecting you,” he said. He let us in, then peered out of the door and bolted it behind him.

  Inside the bistro, two suitcases were open on the floor, each one half-full.

  “What’s going on?” Wiggles asked.

  “I’m not staying here! Someone’s targeting the food industry! It’ll be me they’re after next!”

  “You mean you’re leaving because you don’t feel safe?” I asked.

  “Of course! Why is that surprising?”

  “It’s surprising because you’re under suspicion,” I said.

  He cackled. “Me? A murderer? You must be having a laugh.”

  “We don’t find murder a very funny thing, actually,” Wiggles said.

  “Well, no, of course not. You know what I’m saying.”

  “Where were you between the hours of 5am and 6am today?” I asked.

  He rolled his eyes. “In bed. Asleep. Alone.”

  “No witnesses, then?”

  “I don’t typically sleep with a roomful of witnesses, no.”

  “Nobody could confirm where you were right at the moment of Greasy dying either. That’s an unfortunate coincidence,” I said.

  He shook his head and continued piling things into the suitcases. “I do have an alibi for the Ball. I was trying to be respectful not sharing it.”

  “Go on, then. What is it?”

  “I was snogging the face off of Greasy’s ex-girlfriend if you really want to know. The commotion when the glitter ball fell was the only thing that stopped us,” Drayton said.

  “You were kissing Lila?”

  “Is that her name?”

  I frowned.

  “What? I barely know the girl and I can’t say we spent any time talking that night. She’s not up to my normal standards but she was a decent kisser, actually. Sometimes it works that way. The really drop dead gorgeous ones don’t need to put as much effort in.”

  “You really are a charmer,” I snapped. He was intolerable. If he was really innocent, it was a question of whether the killer would get to him before I did him some real damage.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I’m young, free and single. I like to think of life as a buffet. I’ll try a little of this and a little of that. I’m not going to eat smoked salmon for the rest of my life. Sometimes I want a burger.”

  “And that night, Lila was a burger?” Wiggles asked. I was pleased to see that he looked as unimpressed with Drayton as I felt.

  “I guess so. We made out for a while, it was fun, then we heard the commotion and that was how we both saw that Greasy had died,” Drayton said as he examined a bottle of Champagne, then added it to a suitcase.

  “And Lila will vouch for that?”

  “I’ve no idea. She might want to protect her reputation as Greasy’s devastated lady in mourning. I’m sure other people saw, though. We weren’t very discreet about it.”

  “But this morning, you’re quite sure that you were alone and that nobody can confirm where you were?” I asked.

  “Yes, unfortunately. Even I must spend a rare night alone.”

  “Can you see how this all looks? A man’s found killed outside your business, you have no alibi and we come over and find you packing your things?”

  “It looks to me like the actions of a sensible man. A spate of murders targeted on the food industry? I’d be mad to stick around.”

  “How’s your knowledge of reindeers?” I asked.

  “What? I have no knowledge of reindeers,” Drayton said.

  “You can’t handle them?”

  “No! I’m useless in that department. No experience at all. Is that relevant? If you’re looking for a reindeer handler, it’s Lila you need to speak to.”

  “Twisty was trampled to death by a reindeer,” Wiggles revealed.

  Drayton took that in for a moment before giving a low whistle. “Well, trust me, if anyone’s trained a reindeer well enough to do that on command, it’s Lila.”

  “We do have to make you aware that you’ve been named by someone else we’ve spoken to. Your potential motive seems to be common knowledge, Drayton. You’re a real suspect in this case,” I explained.

  Drayton gasped. “Seriously? Look, I’m a ladies man and a bit of a cad. I know that, I accept that. I just love women. But I haven’t hurt anyone - other than breaking a few hearts, I’ve hurt nobody. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

  “That’s all we want to say for now, but you need to stick around. You’re under investigation. Unpack those cases and return home.”

  “I can’t! Don’t you understand that my life is at risk?” He exclaimed.

  “I can get you a police guard outside the house or offer you a bed in Candy Cane Custody. What would you prefer?” Wiggles offered.

  “Take me to custody,” Drayton said. He held out his hands to be handcuffed, but Wiggles shook his head.

  We trailed out of Sleigh A While and all crammed ourselves into the Fiat, with Drayton’s long legs almost reaching the steering wheel from the back seat.

  “Do you have any other music?” Drayton asked.

  Wiggles turned to him and scowled. “There are some questions I don’t dignify with a response.”

  The rest of the drive was a silent one and when we reached Candy Cane Custody, Wiggles drove into the back entrance, where prison guards greeted us and opened the back door for Drayton.

  “Thank you for this, I appreciate it,” he said to us as he untangled himself and clambered out of the tiny car.

  We waited until he’d been escorted into the building, then Wiggles looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

  “He puts on a good show of a man being afraid,” Wiggles said.

  “My thoughts exactly,” I agreed.

  “He wasn’t honest about everything, though.”

  “No?”

  “Claiming not to have any experience with reindeer! This is Candy Cane Hollow. Our children have basic reindeer training mastered before they can walk sometimes.”

  “All children?” I asked.

  “It’s taught in school. Reindeer are such an essential part of life here.”

  “Why would he lie about that?”

  “Desperate people tell lies. I always joke that my job would be a heck of a lot easier if people told me the truth.”

  I laughed. “I bet that would remove a lot of the fun, though.”

  “That’s true! Now, Holly, I appreciate you waking up so early to help me out. Where can I take you?”

  “I’ll head home, I think,” I said.

  “Good choice,” Wiggles said, and then he turned up the volume and we sang along with George
Michael.

  15

  Back at Claus Cottage, the house was very quiet and I wondered if I might be the only person around.

  I settled down on the settee in the den and picked up my phone. No messages and no missed calls.

  I grabbed a piece of paper and a novelty Santa pen and tried to get my thoughts in order.

  Greasy had been killed. It seemed that that much was now obvious.

  I got no further than that before the front door burst open, bringing inside a hunky dimpled man and a cold blast of air.

  “Hey, you’re back!” Nick said as he stomped out of his boots and peeled off his snow-covered jacket.

  “Hey, you,” I said. I felt coy and a little embarrassed that he’d witnessed my early morning grumpiness. Not to mention my early morning bedhead of a hairdo.

  “You’re busy?” He tipped his head towards the notepad.

  “I’m trying to get my thoughts organised, but it might help to talk them through if you have a few minutes?”

  “There’s always time,” he said with a wink.

  “Great!”

  “Shall I get us a drink?”

  “That would be amazing,” I agreed. A hot mug to hold would warm up my frosty hands.

  He disappeared into the kitchen and my phone rang.

  “Hey, August!” I greeted.

  “I’ve been sitting here by the phone for days…” she said.

  “You’ve what? Why? What’s happening?”

  “You promised me all of the details after your New Year’s Eve date with Mr Hunkalicious! Do I take it from your silence that things went incredibly well, you saucy minx? He doesn’t have you chained to a bed, does he?”

  I felt my cheeks flame and hoped that her voice hadn’t carried through to the kitchen.

  “No, no, nothing like that! And I don’t think that’s how I referred to him either,” I said.

  “Mr Hunkalicious? Maybe it’s how you should refer to him. You’ve clearly got the hots for him.”

  “Oh, yes, I won’t try and deny that,” I chose my words carefully.